Railroad-gate



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

A. ERIKSON.

RAILROAD GATE.

No. 354,403. Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

2 Sheets-Shet 2.

(No Model.)

A. ERIKSON.

RAILROAD GATE.

Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW ERIKSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RAI LROADfGATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part. of Letters Patent No. 354,403, dated December 14, 1886, Application filed September 23, 1882. Renewed January 28, 1586. Serial No, 190,125. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW EinKsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented Improvements in RailroadeGates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for automatically operating railro'adgates and crossing-signals; and it consists in a hinged metal plate, in close proximity to the inside of the rail, which is connected by a system ot' levers .below the track to a gate or signal, the whole operated by the depression of the plate by the Wheel-danges of a passing train, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to make and use thelsame, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure lis a perspective view of a railroad` crossing having my device applied,and showing two different gates which maybe operated by it without material alteration in the lever system. Fig. 2 is a crossesection of the crossing with the lever-connections necessary to operate one of these gates, and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a similar plate connected to a signal.

A represents a railroadtrack, and B B are plates placed parallel to and close along the inner sides of one of the rails of each track. These plates B B are hinged by hinges R to the planks C, placed between the rails at the crossing, and are each provided with a downwardly.

projecting arm, b, which is connected at its lower end to a system Aof levers, D, arranged below the track and connected to a gate, E. In Fig. l two different gates are shown. The gate E is a long bar pivoted to an upright, E', beside the crossing, and when operated is depressed at its outer end, to extend across the roadway and close the crossing.

G is a gate of different form, which is swung horizontally to accomplish the same result.

rlhe arrows in Fig. l, together with the dotted lines, serve to show the movement ofthe gates.

When a train approaches a crossing, the anges of the wheels strike and depress the 5o edge of the plate B next tothe rail, and by its arm b and system of levers D operate the gates to close the crossing. The plate extends far enough on each side of the crossing to enable this to be done at the proper -time before the train has quite reached the road. Vhen the train has passed and the pressure of the wheellanges is` removed from the plates, they are returned to their places by means of a spring, H, (shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) the gates 60 being opened by this operation.

As shown in Fig. 3, these plates may be used to actuate a bell or other signal by placing a vsmall plate alongside the track at some distance from the crossing and connecting its pro- 6 5 jecting arm by a system of levers to a wire, which is carried along to the crossing, where it is attached to a signal-bell, I, which will be sounded on the approach of a train and warn any person who may be passing.

I am aware that it is not new to provide a plate connected by a system of levers to a gate-signal, the plate being depressed by the wheel-lianges of a passing train, and I do not claim the same, broadly; but 5 What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination ofthe planks C C, located between the rails of the track, the plates B B, hinged to the planks C C, and each provided 8o with a downward]y-projecting arm, b, a system of levers, D, connected with the arms b, and a gate operated by said levers, all con structed and arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix Vmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW' ERIKSON.

"Witnesses:

A, S.- ERICKSON, W. C. ll/IcARTHUn. 

